Andrea Jung, Grameen America’s President and CEO, recently gave remarks at the HOPE Global Forum Annual Meeting in Atlanta. Now in its fourth year, the event is hosted by Operation HOPE, Inc. and is the banner gathering of leaders and influencers in the economic empowerment community. This year’s meeting included remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Lew, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, Chelsea Clinton, and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

In her remarks, Ms. Jung highlighted the many ways in which women’s economic opportunity and economic growth go hand-in-hand. “Women are the economic engines of our future,” Ms. Jung argued. Citing a McKinsey report, Ms. Jung noted that closing the global gender gap has the potential to increase global GDP up to $12 trillion in 2025.